Too late (?)
by Paranoidgirl
Summary: XCom: Enemy Unkown fanfic. A Mission in Hong Kong stirs up emotions for Shaojie Zhang as he remembers the family he lost due to his old life.


A/N: This is my first fanfiction for the XCom: Enemy Unkown game, starring my favorite character: Shaojie 'Chilong' Zhang in an attempt to flesh him out somewhat.

* * *

The Skyranger swiftly made its way through the clouds. The unit inside was silent, but far from calm. They were going on a Terror Mission. This always left the group tense.

 _The site of the mission is Hong Kong_

Bradford said. For a moment, all eyes were on Shaojie Zhang. Their main Heavy whose old life was in Hong Kong. He just shot everyone a glare that told them to not even go there.

"Should be easy enough." Suki, their Assault and Team Leader said. "Just keep to what you're good at. Zhang, Valdéz, search out the Chrysalids and leave nothing but a pile of goo. Zamira, get to a roof and start wiping out everything that doesn't look human. Mika and I will get the civilians." She continued as Big Sky landed. A curt nod from everybody as the hatch opened and they filed out, ready for the mission to begin.

The pandemonium of Aliens running around hunting civilians and the ensuing panic was nothing new, but it put the Unit on edge. Zhang in particular. While he had said that he had no special feelings about his home, seeing it in disarray like this did affect him. He just shook his head and tried to concentrate on the mission.

Screams from help tore him straight out of it. They normally didn't, but these were…

Whipping his head around, not too far from the Skyranger he saw two kids, huddled against a wall, horrified. And for good reason as a Chrysalid was rapidly advancing towards them. This seemed to trigger something within him because, under a heated 'No no no!' and 'Get back here!' from one of his teammates Zhang rushed towards the two children. Just as the Chrysalid reached them, so did Zhang as he got between them, using his body as a shield.

One of the creature's blades pierced his shoulder and he couldn't hold back a grunt of pain, feeling blood run over his immobile arm quite freely. Opening his eyes he looked straight into the creature's face and he couldn't help but be horrified. He know what would happen next. The other claw would skewer him, then those mandibles would tear into his flesh and…

"Oh no you don't!" Got called out as thundering footsteps approached and massive hands tore the Chrysalid away, making him drop to the ground. As Zhang got to his feet he could see Roman Valdéz, their MEC warrior, make short work of the Chrysalid.

"What are you waiting for?" He called, approaching Zhang and the kids. "You two, get to the Skyranger." He ordered, pointing at the plane. The kids carefully nodded before rushing to safety.

"Thanks." Zhang said.

"You think you can fight?" Valdéz asked. Zhang managed to move his arm. Slightly.  
"I've had worse."  
"Better go to Zamira. She has a medkit."

"Understood." Zhang nodded, before the two of them were heading back into the fray.

* * *

Despite the rough start, the rest of the Mission went off without a hitch. As the victorious but somewhat tired Unit made their way to the Skyranger, they noticed the kids were still there, together with the plane's pilot; Edgar.

"Zhang. Little help? They only know Chinese…" He said, rubbing the back of his head. Zhang just sighed before asking the children if they knew where their parents were. They shook their heads. Before he could ask something else, he heard a woman call out from outside.

"Chen! Bo!" She called as the children sprang up and ran into her arms.

"Well, that takes care of that." Edgar said before heading to the cockpit. "Let's head back." With that, the unit entered the hatch and prepared to leave.

"Wait!" The woman called before Zhang entered. Still standing in the entrance, he turned around. "Thank you… Thank you so much!" She called.

"Just… just doing my duty." Zhang said. The hatch of Big Sky closed on the kids waving at him and he couldn't help but wave back with a small smile as the hatch closed.

A small smile that instantly vanished with something making a click and a flash.

"Goddamnit, Zam! Just had to ruin the moment, didn't you?" Suki, their Squad leader, shouted over the other groans and protests.

"What? The Haley Comet appears more often then a smile on his face. I wasn't going to let the chance to capture it pass me by." More groans from the group as Zhang just quietly made his way to his seat and sat down for take off. Ready to go home.

* * *

Back at the Base, Zhang was sent to the infirmary almost immediately. Medkits always were more like painkillers then actual healing modules and he did have a hole punched through his shoulder. Fortunately, it wasn't too bad, all things considered.

"Alright, that should do it." The doctor said after he was done with him, placing his arm in a sling. "You'll be ready to return to Active Duty in about five days. Just take it easy with the weight lifting and if you start to feel a burning in your chest, come back here _immediately._ "

"Understood." He said, before getting up and leaving. Only to be stopped by Bradford, standing at the door.

"Could I speak to you? Alone?" He said. With that they walked to one of the smaller rooms of the base. Looked like an office, though Zhang doubted it was Bradford's.

"What is it, Sir?"

"Let's not mince words: you nearly got yourself killed today." Bradford started and Zhang couldn't help but sigh. "I know you were trying to do the right thing, but you disobeyed orders and did something incredibly reckless. If it wasn't for Valdéz' intervention, we wouldn't be having this conversation because you'd be a smear on the pavement." This was rewarded by an outright scoff.

"I know how to handle myself, Sir."

"I know that." Bradford answered, trying really hard to not voice is frustration. "That's why I'm baffled with what you did today. I didn't take you for…" He stopped there as Zhang may not have voiced anything or even changed his expression, but his eyes were suddenly almost ablaze.

An uneasy silence.

"Didn't take me for… what?" Zhang eventually asked. Calm, but again with a fire that told Bradford he had to choose his words carefully.

"Listen. I'm not going to discipline you. You saw children in danger. You jumped in to help. That's commendable. Heroic, even. I just… If that had gone a little bit differently, Xcom would've lost someone valuable. I don't want that to happen."

Another silence. Less uneasy this time.

"You're dismissed." Bradford eventually said as Zhang walked out. He needed a drink.

* * *

"There he is. The hero of the day." Valdéz said as he raised a glass with one of his prosthetic arms from the place at the Base's bar he was sitting.

"I probably wouldn't be standing there if it wasn't for you." Zhang said as he managed a small smile. The two of them after many missions together had bonded over their similar skills with heavy weaponry and an almost boyish love for explosions and demolition, becoming almost like brothers. That said, Zhang wouldn't be this open if it wasn't for the fact they were the only ones in the room.

"Still, you've earned yourself the good stuff." He said, brandishing a bottle of Scotch and pouring Zhang a glass. "But I have to ask: What got into you?" This caused Zhang to slam his glass on the counter.

"For fuck's sake…!"

"I'm serious. You usually don't make a bee-line for civilians because you feel neutralizing the threat is more important. Not to mention you don't want them into the way of a rocket blast." Valdéz said. This calmed Zhang but he kept silent. "So you want to tell me why you did it?" Zhang sighed and downed his glass in one go.

"Do you have family?" Zhang asked.

"An older brother. He's down in Engineering." Valdéz pointed. "I should introduce you two sometime."  
"I'm assuming you have a good relationship with him. I have a younger sister. Our relationship is…" He stopped there, clearly this was difficult for him to talk about.

"Strained?"  
"Non-existent." He looked down. "It wasn't always like this but ever since I was discharged from the Chinese Military under… less than stellar circumstances…" His working hand hovered over the scarred part of his face. "Things became strained. It became even worse when I couldn't find any regular work. The normal world doesn't call for people with my particular skills and background. But the Underworld did. In ample supply. I soon rose in the ranks of a local Triad. But as I did, my relation with everyone around me, especially my sister, eroded into nothingness." He closed his eyes. "The last time I saw her was at our mother's funeral. One baby in her arm and another on the way." He clearly remembered that moment. They didn't exchange words. Just looked at each other before his sister had angrily slapped him across the face and left, never to see him again. "That was years ago. Her children are about the age of the two I saw today."

"So that's why… You ever met them?" Valdéz carefully asked. Zhang just shook his head. "You ever… tried to contact her again?"

"She probably told them I died. If they even know I exist…" Zhang answered, looking away. "It's better this way."

"Even if it means never having to see your own family? I mean… I'm not going to lie, I understand what your sister did, but her children should at least…"

"They should _nothing_ , Roman." Zhang interrupted him. "My sister is in her full right to not have her children around a criminal. A murderer."

"But you're not like that any more." Roman said, placing a hand on his comrade's shoulder. "You turned your back on that life. Started anew as a defender of the Planet. That has to mean _something_."

"It doesn't just… erase what I did. Who I am." This caused a silence as the two quietly shared another drink. Before Valdéz left, he placed an arm on Zhang's shoulder.

"Give it a second thought." He simply said before leaving.

* * *

Zhang gave it a second thought. And a third. And many more. Eventually, he decided that he could at least try.

So there he was, sitting at a phone, number in hand. He didn't even know how he got her new number. One of his old 'Friends'? Still, he found it hard to dial the number. Doubt filling his mind again. Eventually he took a deep breath.

"Let's just get this over with." He whispered, dialing the number.

 _Hello? Zhang residence_

A young voice eventually answered. A girl, probably not older than ten. His niece… He covered his mouth with his free hand.

"Greetings. Could I speak to your mother?" He managed, glad the phone hid his expression.

 _Who's calling?_

"Just say that Chilong wants to speak to her."

 _Okay._

With that he heard small footsteps walk away from the phone. This was it… Either the phone would be hung up or…

 _Hello?_

An older voice. And he recognized it instantly, even if he hadn't heard it in so long.

"Shuang? It's… It's Shaojie. I know it's been a while…"


End file.
